


I guess they never crit, huh

by senpa_i



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Non-Graphic Violence, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22079512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/senpa_i/pseuds/senpa_i
Summary: a collection of one shots from my personal d&d campaign. some are canon, some are mostly canon, some are just for fun. these are all based in our d&d universe, so setting is consistent.
Relationships: Original Dungeons & Dragons Character(s) & Original Dungeons & Dragons Character(s), Original Dungeons & Dragons Character(s)/Original Dungeons & Dragons Character(s), Vanya Eta/Arthur Faivre
Kudos: 1





	1. Confusion

**Author's Note:**

> canon! gonna try to post these in order at which they would have occurred in the campaign.

They’d officially been on the road for two days when Vanya finally decided she had cooled enough to reach out to her companion. He’d been near silent since they had hurriedly left Tamanna, and she knew that he was just as upset as she was, but for his own reasons. 

After being rushed out of town for reasons unbeknownst to her, after being interrupted, she’d been fuming. They come to her room, demanding they leave right that moment, refusing to even allow her the privacy of changing. She knew why, Ava had explained after the fact, they had decided Jaeh was a threat, and had assumed he was going to try to kill her, for whatever reason. Vanya had thought it was ridiculous, and even if he was trying, they doubted her ability to protect herself, which in itself was insulting. That night had gone poorly in so many ways, not to mention she’d barely been able to digest and process what she’d witnessed with Arthur. 

That had sat the most poorly with the dancer. They had built a certain level of trust after having been travelling together for so long, she felt almost betrayed. While it had been clear to her over time that something was a bit weird, she had just taken it for what it was, deciding to leave it up to him to tell her if he really felt it necessary. Something similar had happened when she had ‘transformed’ for the first time as well, but he had reacted in surprise, and Vanya had come clean near immediately after the incident. “I’d still like to travel with you, if you will have me.” The words sat clear in her mind still. That had been a point in their relationship, when he didn’t try to romance her, or kill her. The man had remained professional, and kind to her regardless of what she was, and that was something she held dearly. 

Though Vanya had no intention of abandoning her companion, she had needed time to calm down, and she was ready to speak with him now. They were stopped at a small ravine, resting and enjoying the daylight before continuing on their journey. Arthur was sitting on a fallen log near the water’s edge, quietly taking in the scenery. 

Of course, Arthur had noticed the dancer’s silence towards him, and it had settled into a very deep ache in his stomach. It made eating hard, and relaxing even harder. He knew his sudden transformation had shocked her, and that night at the inn had upset her even more. It had been eating away at him each waking moment he’d had, but that was somehow better than the thought of losing her that night. 

Furrowing his brow, he shook his head to try and push away the memory of that night, and how she had looked at him with such anger and annoyance. When he had resorted to his height and emotion to try to force her to come with him, but she held strong like she always did in the face of adversity. It was something he’d always admired about her, and even in that moment he had, despite how much he had wanted her to just relent easily for once. 

“Arthur.. May I speak with you?” 

Her voice shook him from his thoughts, and he looked up at her. She stood behind him, holding her arms in front of her body. Her expression was calm as normal, but he could see the nervousness in her stance. 

“Of course.” 

The words came from his mouth with little hesitation, and he even gestured to the log beside him. The dancer smiled and muttered a soft ‘thank you’, taking the spot next to him. They were close enough to speak quietly without an audience, but not touching. They both knew why, and Vanya was thankful for his understanding. 

They were both quiet for a while, Arthur fidgeting with the edge of his cloak, eyes trained on the river, Vanya taking off the chiffon scarf she wore over her face, and holding it in her hands.

“I would like to apologise for my behaviour for the past few days. It was cruel of me to treat you with such silence, despite how I felt.” Vanya’s voice carried no hesitation, and she had turned to look at him. “You don’t deserve that from someone you trust.” While her demeanour and body showed no signs of her anxiety, on the inside her heart was going a bit crazy, and her mind was racing. Being so honest about her true feelings was still a bit foreign to her, but she had decided long ago that Arthur was deserving of it. After a moment of silence, Vanya continued. “I was confused, and hurt.. I told you what I truly am, and I had thought you would give me the same courtesy.” 

Arthur listened thoughtfully at first, thinking her apology was unnecessary. He was more than deserving of the treatment, even if Vanya seemed so sincere in her belief that he wasn’t. When she continued on, it began to hurt. There was some truth to what she was saying.. He’d been trying so hard to hide that form for so long, from everyone, from her, but he didn’t see it as such an awful thing. Who would ever want to remain at his side if they knew about those truths? As much as he couldn’t admit it to himself, the fear of her leaving him had been a driving force in his intent to hide the truth from her. 

“But I understand you must have your own reasons for not telling me.. So I will not press you for answers.” 

Vanya had learned a while ago that some things are better left unsaid, and with Arthur, that usually applied quite often. He looked back to her with a bewildered expression, a bit surprised that she was letting him go without saying, and taking the blame mostly on herself. It was clearly his fault, regardless of what she seemed to think, and he wanted to make it right. There would be some he wouldn’t be able to tell her still, but if he could ease her unwarranted guilt then he would try his best. 

“I apologise as well, for hiding the truth from you. I..” Arthur paused, his body tense with hesitation and doubt. “It is a dark part of my past, and it’s not something I remember fondly..” His voice was quiet, and he was trying his hardest to steady it. The cloth of his pants was tight against his skin as his fists gripped his thighs in an attempt to remain calm. Vanya felt as though she should put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him, but refrained as to not make him more nervous. “You don’t have to elaborate, Arthur,” Her voice was calm despite her own feelings, and he drew a bit of comfort from that. “I respect your reasons, whatever they may be.” 

There was a sinking pit in the man’s stomach, he wanted to tell her the truth, but he couldn’t. “It’s a curse.” Was all Arthur could manage, and even then his voice was barely above a whisper. The surrounding sounds were quickly becoming incredibly obvious and loud while he awaited her response. The trickling of the water, the sound of the breeze, the bugs and small frogs, everything was blaring in his ears. That familiar feeling of stress was building in his chest, and he could feel the blood rushing to his face.

“We’ll just have to find a way to break it together then.” Her voice broke through the loud noises, and suddenly all that stress was leaving the more he thought about her words. In her own mind, the dancer knew there was clearly more to the story than he was telling her, but he was already bothered just saying that much. She’d decided that whatever it was, she would stay by his side. Despite their professional relationship, and how much she wanted to stick to it, Vanya cared for him deeply. They’d had many positive experiences together, and she didn’t want to lose that.

When Arthur looked to her, tearing his eyes away the scenery, she had that expression that always seemed to soften his heart. A genuine smile, and eyes that felt as though they saw through him and into his heart. He now knew she was being honest about what she was saying, and it eased his stress. “Thank you, Vanya.” A smile graced his lips as well, and for a moment he felt like everything was going to be alright. 

“Vanya! Arthur! It’s time to go!” Came Eleanor’s shrill voice from up the hill, she was waving at them from her horse. Vanya stood, and motioned with her hand as if to say “we’ll be right there”. “Let us return to the road then.” Wrapping her scarf around her head once more, the dancer stepped over the log, waiting for the man to follow dutifully next to her. Arthur quickly joined her, pulling his hood up once more, a bit more eager to continue on their journey.


	2. Saviour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "what would vanya do if he died?" "probably cry and beg her deva to save him"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> canon until battle is done, then its wishy washy "what if" stuff..

Everything happened very quickly, like it always does with combat. Something always goes wrong with the diplomatic route, a spell goes wrong, or they can see through their lies and deception. But battle was going mostly well, Arthur and Ava were keeping the demon’s attention well enough in close range, Elijah doing a better job from a slightly ranged position, keeping Eleanor safe as he did typically. everyone was a bit bloodied, and you were too, but defeating this beast was more important than a few scrapes and scratches. for a moment you pause, closing your eyes and you mumble in Celestial, asking for the power you need to help slay this demon that stood in your path. A familiar feeling floods your being with a burst of energy, and you give yourself a running start before leaping into the air, your newly formed wings catching the air and lifting you into the sky. 

You move quickly through the air, using your blades to cut at the beast. you manage to slice its arm, but it sees you coming and swats you to the ground like a fly. Your body hits the ground with a dull thud, the entire side of your body is aching, and you’re struggling to catch your breath after it was all pushed from chest. While you’re struggling to get up from the ground, you hear a loud roar coming from the group of fighting. Arthur has turned, probably enraged from the actions the demon had taken against his teammates. The screams of pain and his roaring are loud in your ears, and you finally pull yourself from the ground with Eleanor’s help. as you’re preparing your weapons, you hear Arthur howling like you’d never heard before, and you’re able to see past Elijah who looks back to you with concern in his eyes, the demon has his claws in Arthur’s chest. Blood begins to pour from the wounds as the demon withdraws his hand, letting out a deep guttural chuckle as he does so. 

Something ignites in your chest, a deep furious anger that rouses you from any grogginess or feelings you had after being knocked down. You call out Elijah’s name, and as he sees you running towards him, he turns his shield to you, and you set your foot onto it, and he pushes you into the sky with a heave on his part. As you’re moving in the air towards the fight, Ava casts a spell from behind the demon, eliciting a loud screech from its mouth. It falls to its knees, and Arthur goes in for another hit. The demon is almost dead after that, blood pouring from its mouth, screaming things in infernal that you can only imagine are taunts or threats. You really can’t bring yourself to care as you go in for the kill, blades ready to decapitate the beast. It manages to catch you off guard one last time, scratching at your stomach with the same claws it used to hurt your friend. It hurts and you can feel the blood pouring down your side, but all you can stand to do now is bite your lip and bear it, as your blades slice into the demon’s neck, silencing its screams and laughter for good. 

When your feet touch the ground, your attention immediately goes to Arthur, who’s only a few feet from you. He’s already back in human form, on his knees, clutching at his chest. the worry floods your mind, and you rush to his side, too afraid of touching him in case you would somehow hurt him even more. “Arthur, you’re hurt,” You say, voice starting to shake a tiny bit as you finally get a good look at his wounds. All you can really see in darkness in the holes in his chest, and the blood that pours from them, rhythmically, along with every beat of his heart. before he can really say much, he starts to sway, and you wrap your arms around him, taking him into your arms best you can. “Elijah, please,” You gasp out, hand trying to bring the cloth of his clothes closer to his chest, to soak up the blood. Arthur is looking at you now, there’s a bit of fear in his eyes, but mostly pain. You’ve never seen this look on his face before, and a deep panic sets into your chest. Arthur was usually quiet, but for the most part he was unbothered by things. He’d been your rock plenty of times, but seeing him like this reminded you that he could feel these things too. 

The clinking of Elijah’s armour had been silent to your ears, so when he came upon Arthur’s side, you were taken from your momentary stupor. “Can you help him please?” Your voice came out softer than anticipated, shaky even. “You’re injured as well.. Vanya..” Arthur’s voice was quiet and low, each word seeming like a struggle for him. “Can you not see how close you are to..” You suddenly couldn’t even bring yourself to say the word. “Elijah, please, do something..” Elijah’s hand gripped his shoulder, and he said a few words, and yet nothing happened.

Arthur’s condition didn’t change, and your brow furrowed. Why wasn’t anything happening? The wounds should have been going away now, or at the very least the bleeding should have stopped. But still, with every breath and every beat of his heart, the blood seeped out. It was becoming obvious to them that this was the time, and Arthur could do nothing but stare. You couldn’t help it, as the thought that you might lose your companion filled your thoughts, tears welled up in your eyes. Elijah leaned back, unsure of how to react either. Sometimes you were at the gods’ mercy, and this was one of them. Pulling him a bit closer, the tears freely began to fall from your eyes. “Oh, Arthur, please,” shakily your hand touched his cheek. “You can’t do this now.. Please..” Your voice was growing softer, and even as Arthur was still clearly in pain, you could feel him relax in your arms just a bit. “Vanya.. Thank you..” Your brows furrowed with concern. _Why was he thanking you?_ “You showed me..” He took a breath, and you wanted him to stop talking. _Please save your energy_ , you thought. “Kindness.. When everyone around me.. Thought I was a monster..” 

You pulled him even closer, touching his hair, hand shaking. “Please just keep holding on, okay? We’ll find a way to help you.” You weren’t even sure you could, but you didn’t want to believe the inevitable outcome here. You were sure your voice was extremely telling of how you actually felt. 

For the next few minutes you held him, the others trying desperately to find a way to help him. You spoke kind words to him, telling him to hold on, and he would respond in kind. Eventually you could see the weight of his eyelids, and he’d become a sickly white colour. His breaths were shallow, and he seemed to realise as well. Panic was setting in truly in that moment. Your pleas quickened, and you were losing your composure. Your voice was still soft, but faster now, begging him to stay with you. 

You take his hand in your own, finally coming closer to his face, mustering up your courage. “Arthur.. Please don’t leave me like this… Please..” You were holding back sobs. “I can’t imagine my life without you by my side.. I don’t want to live a lifetime without you, feeling emptiness in my chest knowing only you can fix it..” Your tears are falling to his cheeks, and when you’re whispering your feelings to him, he leans into you. You can see he’s relaxed in that moment, and he looks up at you. A smile forms gently on his lips, and he moves your hand to his heart. “Everything will be fine, Vanya…” You know he’s lying, and his eyes close, his hand falling limp against his chest. “Arthur? Please, Arthur..” Finally you begin to sob, pushing your forehead against his. 

Through your tears you begin begging in celestial, hoping someone will listen and help. “ _I am powerless here! Please, I have asked for your power in combat over and over, I know this.. But please grant me your aid once more…_ ” There’s a pain in your chest, a deep aching, and you know it’s loss. You’ve lost the closest person to you, and you’re not sure what you can do anymore. 

In a rush of emotion, your eyes widen, and that familiar feeling of calm overwhelms you. Unbeknownst to yourself, your celestial wings are back, and your eyes are glowing again. Whispers fill your mind, but eventually they come together into one clear voice, one you’ve heard over and over in your life. “ _Your life’s mission is not yet finished, my child.. I see now how deeply you’ve cherished this human, and so I will grant him life just this once.. He will live with these scars, but you will have each other, and you shall complete your life’s duty at his side.._ ” When the feeling leaves you, you look down to see a glow emerging from the wounds on his chest. Within moments, Arthur’s chest heaves, and he rolls from your arms to the ground, coughing and sputtering, catching his breath and taking in as much as he can. But most importantly, he’s alive, he’s moving, and he seems well enough if not a bit weak. 

Your heart almost stops in your chest, and the tears keep falling. You reach out to touch him, but you stop short, you must be dreaming.. Finally, he seems to catch his breath, and turns to look at you. There’s life in his eyes, and while he’s still pale, his skin is flush. He moves closer to you as well, taking your cheek in his hand, looking deeply into your eyes. There’s silence between the two of you for a moment, but you can’t help but just lean into him, throwing your arms around his body. It’s the first time you’ve ever truly been this close, but you can’t help it. You sob into his chest, all the while thanking your deva over and over, thanking them for giving him back to you. his arms wrap around you gingerly, almost unsure, but eventually holding you tightly as well. 

In his chest, your thanks turns into words of relief, and you can just feel his lips against your head, and his nodding in response. “I love you Arthur, please don’t ever leave me again like that..” Your voice is soft, almost like you don’t want him to hear you, and you feel his arms give you a squeeze and a nod once more. For that moment, that’s all you need. to be in each other’s arms, closer than you’d ever been before.


	3. Torn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle of the demon raid in Ashua. Vanya has complicated feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> totally canon :)

"Vanya... I want to spend the rest of my life by your side."

The words didn’t settle in her brain right away, and she wasn’t able to interject before the man before her spoke again, this time a tear rolling down his pale cheek.

"I love you, Vanya... I wish I could tell you in different circumstances, but I might not survive this.”

The words seemingly sit on the surface of the water, before the reality sets in, and they sink into her. She understands now, these feelings have been in his heart for so long. He feels forced to tell her, thinking that his demise is imminent. The look of confusion is replaced with understanding, and she reaches for his hand with her human one. 

“Thank you, Arthur,” These words have soothed an ache in her heart she didn’t know she had. A small amount of confidence washes over her, her shoulders relaxing, and a genuine smile takes its place on her lips. "We'll make it through this together. I promise."

He doesn’t seem bothered by the ghastly thing that is her right hand, taking it and placing it against his chest. His face is serious, but still gentle and clearly full of love. “Thank you..” The words are soft while he stands closer to her. “For making me feel human again.” 

Unable to end the conversation properly, due to Eleanor telling them it was time to begin, Vanya’s only able to turn away and get to her position. The demons were milling around, and Katrezenya was somehow in the portal, and Cameron fumbled with an explanation as to why she was there. It fell deaf on Vanya’s ears as she jumped over the pews they were hiding behind, sparing Arthur only a glance, taking comfort in the steely expression on his face. The worry was written clearly to her, but she knew he was ready and that eased her mind. 

The first attack was nearly a bust, losing her scimitar, it having slipped out of her hand. Then Elijah took after her, running straight for the demoness herself. He fared no better than she did, dropping his own sword just like she did. Everything after that happened so quickly. From getting cornered by another demon, to watching Arthur transform once again, this time with a sense of determination, to taking her radiant form. There were healing spells being tossed to and fro, and then suddenly everything was happening in slow motion. 

Elijah had been tossed to the floor, the demon cackling loudly, while she stabbed right through his helm. Everyone watched on in horror, Arthur letting out a monstrous howl, Ava’s face contorted in pain and anguish, and Eleanor somewhere she couldn’t see. There was a hollow feeling in her chest, they weren’t close, they butted heads, he had fallen, but she wondered if he truly deserved a death like this. It was righteous, she thought, he died for a cause he believed in, and for that she decided this invasion had to be over as soon as possible. 

Her feet carried her to the demon that had pushed him to the floor, and she killed it mercilessly. Ava was quick in her casting, protecting Eleanor from her next spell, that seemed to not do enough to the demon before them. At this point, Arthur was by her side once more, but he was unable to protect her from the fireball that suddenly found its way in their faces. When she was able to turn back, her eyes fell once more to a comrade on the ground. Ava lay lifeless on the ground, her clothes still smoking from the blast. The man next to her let out another howl, and a deep pit of anger burned inside Vanya’s stomach. Ava was so kind, she did everything for others, she was another person who didn’t deserve this. 

Arthur seemingly lost control, roaring and using his claws to dig as deep into the demon’s flesh as he could. The blood gushed from her wounds, but she seemed unfazed.

“You all had the audacity to think that you could stop this?” The demoness screeched with laughter again, staring at Eleanor with a condescendence Vanya had never seen before. 

“Yeah, we really did think we could.” Eleanor’s voice was strong, as she held her scepter out towards the demon, casting a spell under her breath. Vanya and Arthur looked on, time slowing once more while the spell seemed to fly right between the monster’s horns. 

Vanya felt the anger welling up inside her, and she gripped the handles of her scimitars tightly. Taking a running start, she pushed herself into the air, using Arthur’s back as another step to fly into the air, spinning and slicing the demon’s head clean off. She was thankful, as the other three dull thumps of her blades made her lose any hope she had. 

There was a huge commotion as Vanya landed on the ground, her first priority closing the portal that started this whole encounter. The task was simple enough, and the dancer even went so far as to catch the damned elf who cursed her, setting her down on the ground instead of letting her body hit with force. Standing, she looked back to Arthur, her wings fading away and the colour coming back to her eyes. Her breathing was ragged, and she watched him return to his human form. It was a gruesome process, but she was comforted his presence when he reached her. Part of her wanted nothing more than to throw herself in his arms, and heave a few deep sobs into his chest, but there was still more to be done, despite their conditions.   
Tearing their eyes away from each other, they looked back to see Elijah sputtering with breath, and Ava on the floor next to him, tearing rolling her cheeks. Feeling a weight being lifted off her shoulders, her attention was stolen when Arthur spoke to her, his voice shaking. 

“I couldn’t protect him.. We almost lost him,” The next words barely escape his mouth, and his expression is pained. “But I was so close to losing you…” 

Vanya’s mind is racing, and she can’t muster up enough for a response, instead opting to take his calloused, blood covered hand, and giving it a squeeze, an exhausted smile on her face. She wants to say that she’s fine, that she’s just glad it’s over, but her voice doesn’t want to come out. Arthur wants so badly to hold her, caress her cheek and thank her for being the anchor he needed to maintain his sanity, but all he does is squeeze her hand back. 

Things happen quickly after that, and she’s just filled with so many thoughts, and feelings. More than she’s ever had to deal with. The touches she’s shared with Arthur are brief, but she hopes it’s able to convey how she feels. 

Shortly after they toss the key into the portal, it closing with a large gust of wind, the dancer turns back to her companion. His eyes are watering, and she’s gifted with a smile from him. A sight normally unseen, it tells her things are somehow doing alright.


	4. Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they're in the next town, Vanya has an important mission to undertake. It includes seducing the sleazy magistrate and finding out all of his secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 95% canon! timing is weird, but the actions should be mostly correct.

After Vanya’s mission, the dancer desperately needed a drink. The disgust had welled up inside her, and now all she truly wanted was to drown it with alcohol. 

As they left the courthouse and Malgywn behind, she was keeping an eye out for a bar that seemed popular enough. Eventually she got her way, taking a sharp turn with no warning to the boys who had been her guides. Arthur hesitated for only a moment, making an effort to guide the nearly blind paladin towards the bar.

“Ah, I feel that I’d need a drink after dealing with that as well..” Elijah commented to Arthur, who gave a soft grunt in agreement. “I’m sure there would have been other ways to information from him.” The tone of the alchemist’s voice was frustrated. He was not happy with that turn of events, seeing his love interacting so fondly with another. There was a certain sickness to it, knowing she was not truly his and how she seemed to do this sort of thing so effortlessly. In his mind he knew, to her it was just work, and yet his heart ached so deeply. 

Even now, watching her smile at the men at the bar, as they bought her drinks, he wanted her to himself. Arthur and Elijah talked for a while, as Vanya drank her weight in alcohol. He kept a close eye on her and the men who were trying to get close to her. Only once or twice did a man try to do anything unseemly, and he had quickly put an end to that. 

Arthur reckoned it was about midnight, when Vanya finally seemed to have hit her limit. The boys had eaten, and mostly just talked while the dancer did her thing. But now she was swaying, and the men eyed her greedily. “I think it’s finally time to go,” Arthur commented. “I’ll get Vanya.” Elijah just gave him a tired smile in response, climbing out of his chair.

Vanya was talking about her dancing, when Arthur approached her. She was appropriately sloshed at this point, hardly remembering her earlier evening. “Arthur! I thought you’d gone back to the inn already..” She was trying her best to seem mostly sober, at least through her speech. Though her leaning against the bar and nearly falling when she tried to step towards him probably got rid of that facade rather quickly. “Elijah and I waited for you.. But I think it’s time to return now.” His voice had softened considerably when she looked up at him, with a look of pleasant surprise. 

Thankfully, she didn’t fight back, waving goodbye to the men who suddenly seemed angry and yet disappointed at the same time. Clearly, they’d been expecting something more. Though one hard look from Arthur quickly dissuaded any further action regarding her fast departure. 

Her walk to the door was rough, and she tripped with almost every step, only making when Arthur offered his arm to her, and she quickly latched on. “Thank you Arthur, you are quite the life saver.” She said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

This was odd behaviour, and even the dancer noticed. What about her mood tonight made her so eager to be close to him? He wondered how she’d gotten so drunk, and why she’d never gotten to this point before in their years of travelling together. 

When they got outside, Vanya felt the chill of the desert air immediately. She hadn’t dressed for this type of cold weather, and made the effort to wrap her arms tightly around herself. It made no difference as they walked, and Arthur stopped the group for a moment. “Is something wrong?” Elijah asked, wondering why they stopped so suddenly. “I’m afraid I didn’t dress for the cold weather..” Vanya chuckled. Wordlessly, Arthur took his cloak off, and draped it around her shoulders. The warmth was a welcome change for her, as his cloak nearly swallowed her whole. “Thank you, Arthur.” Her smile was big, and she pulled it closed tightly. 

His response was a smile in return, and they made their way down the street again. It didn’t take long for the fabric to get caught between the dancer’s legs, causing her to trip. She wondered how she let that happen, when normally her reflexes were much sharper than that. Even if she wasn’t really all there in her head. Arthur was quick to catch her and steady her. 

His chest tightened for a moment, hesitant to ask if he could just help her get back to the inn. It was still a bit of a walk, and at their current rate it would still take a considerable amount of time to get back. She seemed less averse to his touch at the moment, and he decided to take a chance. “Vanya.. Will you allow me to get you back to the inn safely?” His voice was low when he asked, almost gravelly somehow. She looked back at him, and he could see the cogs turning in her head. It would be much faster, she thought, I’m only slowing us down. I’ve already kept them out late enough.. Not that they had to stay, though. “I believe that would be best for us all....” Her voice was small, apologetic almost. The paladin listened silently, surprised at the both of them. They typically didn’t show these sides of themselves, and he felt somehow lucky he was able to witness it. 

Arthur quickly wrapped his arm around her, and hooked the other under her legs, lifting her into the typical bridal position. She gasped in response, giggling once he got his grip on her properly. His love felt weightless in his arms. He noted how well she fit into his arms, and how warm her body was. 

The trip back to the inn ended very quickly after that, Vanya having leaned into his grasp, her eyes mindlessly taking in the scenery as they walked. When they arrived at the Ebony Crow, the trio quickly made their way up the stairs. “I’ll take her to her room, to make sure she gets to bed safely.” Arthur said to Elijah, who only smiled and offered a good night to the both of them. 

Vanya was quiet until he brought her to her room. When the door was closed, and her feet touched the floor, she spoke. “Thank you very much for making sure I got here safe.” The dancer kicked her shoes off. “It really means more to me than you know.” Arthur’s body ached for her warmth again, as hard as it was to admit. His mismatched eyes followed her around the room as she began her night time routine. “I care deeply for you, Vanya. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you..” 

There was suddenly a pain in her chest, she didn’t quite understand why. If something happened to me.. She wondered. You’re the one who is seemingly always in danger.. I don’t know what I’d do if… Her movements stiffened for a moment, but she quickly shook the feeling away, taking his cloak off, and putting it on the bed. “I am usually able to take care of myself, but tonight..” The smile she gave him was a bit sheepish. “I really wish to forget that dinner.” He gave her an understanding nod. Even just watching it, he had felt sick to his stomach. Watching the way she’d laughed, smiled, and held hands with that man, it made him feel terribly ill. He knew it was for the good of the mission, but he couldn’t help but dislike it.   
Turning away from her when she began to work at the buttons of her dress, his eyes followed the grain of the wood in front of him. “I know it’s for the best that we do these things.. But it feels wrong..” He muttered, mostly to himself. A part of Vanya agreed completely, it didn’t feel any better being the one who had to act so sensually and be so objectified. Her eyes closed as she worked methodically at her clothes in near silence, the sounds of the bar floors beneath them was distant and their soft breathing was all that surrounded them. “I wonder if the other comes up with ideas that are better than these.. But fail to mention them…” Was her response, and he pondered it in his head. He had many ideas, but not many of them would go so smoothly, and with so little harm to everyone around them. 

Arthur turned back when he heard Vanya crawl into her bed, watching as she pulled the blanket over herself. While she lay there, her eyes closed, the world felt like it was spinning around her. “Knowing you’re safe in bed helped clear my mind.. So I’ll leave so you can get some rest..” Arthur’s voice was soft, so as not to disturb her. When he made his move to leave, Vanya reached out for him. “Please stay, for a moment..” Her voice was even softer, and her eyes were still closed, yet her brow was furrowed. He sat down next to her bed, getting as close as he could comfortably. 

She rolled onto her side, towards him, reaching for his hand. He held her hand gently, letting its warmth settle in his heart. “I wonder…” Her voice was barely above a whisper, so that only the two of them could hear it. “Why did I feel so scared when you told me you loved me..” That ache in her heart had confused her, but at the time it had made sense. “I wondered why I had been so scared to lose you in that battle..” At this point, her eyes were watering, and the tears rolled down her face. Arthur’s heart was beating so hard in his chest, he had no idea why she wanted him to stay, and her words were only confusing him. “Vanya, you don’t have to…” His voice was rough in comparison to hers, but she continued after shaking her head. “I care far too much for you Arthur.. Far too much than I should..” His heart was almost breaking. 

“I wished for things to remain the same between us.. But I’m afraid I’ve let my own emotions run loose..” In this moment, it was somehow unfair to him for her to have feelings for him. As if something bad would come of it. It was even hard to admit her feelings to herself, much less also to him. Her grip on his hand tightened, and she finally opened her eyes to peak at him. He was trying to keep his expression neutral, but the confusion and fear was clearly etched into his face as well. “Please don’t leave my side if… If my feelings become.. Too much.” Was the only way she could say it. 

Even when she was crying, he noted how beautiful she was. He so desperately wanted to hold her and reassure her that he would never leave her side if he had the choice. “Vanya, I want to be by your side for as long as I live.” He squeezed her hand back, reaching to wipe the tears off her face. “As long as you’ll have me, I’ll be by your side..” 

The relief was visible in her body, as she relaxed into the bed, into the hand that was now holding her face. His heart had relaxed as well. He thought that maybe now he understood her feelings a bit more, and she wasn’t rejecting him or his love. 

“Thank you, Arthur.” 

Her eyes closed, and she rolled onto her back, seemingly satisfied with the conversation they’d had. He kissed her hand, not thinking much of it, except when she opened her eyes and lazily looked over at him. Thinking for a second that maybe he’d crossed a line, those thoughts were gone when she pulled her hand away to help her sit up on her elbows the best she could. Leaning on her side, she reached for his face, pulling him in closely. His heart was loud in his ears when her lips kissed the edge of his mouth, gently as she could. When she whispered, “is this okay?” against his lips, all he could do was nod and close his eyes when she pressed her lips to his fully. His heart had stopped in his chest, and his mind was racing. Her lips were so soft, just like he’d imagined, and when she pulled away, flopping back onto the bed, curling onto her side, he looked at her in bewilderment. 

Was she even going to remember this in the morning? She had drank quite a bit, so maybe she would regret it.. But he held this moment dearly in his heart. She had admitted was he assumed were her feelings, and shared a kiss with him, and this was all much more than the alchemist would have ever hoped for. 

When he was sure she was asleep, he got up slowly and quietly, being careful not to wake her. Closing the door behind himself, he went down to his own room, feeling a bit confused, but happy nonetheless.


End file.
